Can a runner have a remote coach?

Most runners who have a coach see it at every new training. Whether you are a personal trainer or the leader in front of a running team, attending each training session in person is the traditional way to fulfill a preparation plan.

There are many places and options to do it, but even so not all runners can go and for many this meant being left without the possibility of having a guide to improve as athletes or prepare for competitions. Luckily, this is no longer the case.

Having the coach face to face and/or being part of a running team is not the same as training at a distance and alone, but it is an excellent option for those who cannot choose. Many people do not have schedules that coincide with those of running groups or live in a place where there is no one directly training runners.

In such cases, there is no way to choose another method and distance training is a satisfactory way of not being adrift. It may also happen that the only coach available on a face-to-face level is not what we are looking for and at a distance we have one that is much more confident. When a person moves to another country or to another province, he often chooses to remain at a distance with the coach he had before.

Distance training does not mean using plans that appear on the internet or that were designed for other people. Distance training must be personalized. The dialogue between the athlete and his coach must be kept fluid, it is not just about receiving the exercises and period.

Technology has become an essential ally in these cases. It is no longer a question of guessing, the runner can send the information to the coach very precisely. The rhythms, the pulsations, the altimetry of the place where you train, the weekly load, absolutely all the information is available with current applications.

That information is very concrete, but it is not the only one, there are also the sensations, the discomfort, all those details that cannot be obtained without a person who knows the subject as an interlocutor. A distance coach thus acquires enormous value. But even more, if the runner wants the running technique to be evaluated, he can make a video showing how he runs, something that a coach with a few seconds of observation will understand perfectly, being able to correct all the shortcomings, but at the same time understanding what may be failing in his coach.

There are not a few athletes who today, in the 21st century, receive their distance training and, if they commit to work, they obtain the same results that they would have had their coach had in person. Here also come into play details that for many are secondary but not for others. A coach is not only a deliverer and controller of plans, he must also be a motivator, someone who accompanies and takes care of his runners.

You need to be attentive to the different types of people, physical conditions and possibilities. For fans, the human qualities and pedagogical ability of a coach are of enormous value.

As a closing, it is also advisable that the coach and the trainee can eventually do a face-to-face training. If time and distance allow, ever approaching face-to-face training or with the running team will also be an extra help that often provides the human detail that allows you to capture more subtle nuances.

When training in a group, a runner understands the work better in terms of how it is lived and felt. Sometimes this is not possible and it is very common for coaches to meet their runners in a race. There is something wonderful about having an excellent coach even if you don't live in the same place. The distances are shortened by technology and, most importantly, we can receive the right training.

*Santiago García is a marathoner, author of the book “Running to live, live to run” and “Back to run”. He completed the Six World Marathon Majors twice. On Instagram: @sangarciacorre.

* Production: Gastón Taylor//Edition: Patricio Straticco//Production: Macarena Sánchez

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